Sunday, February 18, 2007

Teen dating abuse: Study, hotline

A just-released study of teen dating abuse found that 71% of teens (13-18) "regard boyfriends/girlfriends spreading rumors about them on cellphones and social-networking sites as a serious problem, and 68% say friends sharing private or embarrassing photos or videos is a serious problems. The survey, sponsored by Liz Claiborne, Inc., as part of its 16-year focus on stopping domestic violence, also found that "a significant majority of parents are completely unaware of this type of dating abuse." The study is part of a national education campaign that also includes a 24-hour hotline (866-331-9474) that Liz Claiborne has committed to help fund for three years. The confidential teen hotline is operated by the Austin-based National Domestic Violence Hotline. Here's USATODAY on the hotline and Reuters on all of this. Here are other key survey findings:

"24% of teens in a relationship communicated with their partner via cellphone or texting hourly between midnight and 5 am."

"30% say they are text messaged 10, 20, 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they're doing, or who they're with.

"67% of parents whose teens were checked up on 30 times per day on their cell phone were unaware this was happening.

"25% of teens say they have been called names, harassed, or put down by their partner through cellphones and texting.

"71% of parents were unaware that their teen is afraid of not responding to a cell phone call, text or IM massage or email for fear of what their partner might do."